


On Nygma

by aceofneverland



Series: Zsaszlepot Canon Divergence [2]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, angsty, major pre-slash, season 3 episode 5, things will be happy next part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22791175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofneverland/pseuds/aceofneverland
Summary: canon-compliant piece following the events of the last couple scenes of season 3 episode 5: Anything for You.What did Butch mean when he said, "No it's not the same.  You ..."How does Zsasz react to Edward Nygma's new place at Oswald's side?
Relationships: (IMPLIED), (one sided), (pre-slash), Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot/Victor Zsasz
Series: Zsaszlepot Canon Divergence [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637926
Comments: 9
Kudos: 49





	On Nygma

**Author's Note:**

> You do not have to read my previous piece to follow this one, though there will be some call backs to it.

“I can’t believe you’d turn on Oswald too.”

“Uh hello. Pot, kettle, black.”

“No, it’s not the same. You … never mind.”

_You love him_. That was what Butch nearly said. Zsasz could see it on the gorilla’s face. It similar to the look Butch had given him when Zsasz barged in on him and Tabitha after Oswald got out of Arkham. Calculating (for Butch). 

From Butch’s view, which was limited. Twisted by Nygma. From his point of view Zsasz should be out there with Oswald, should be taking back the place Nygma had snuck out from him. It wasn’t like that though. _Sure_ , Zsasz had been working for Oswald less since Nygma had been released. He’d barely been around, but that wasn’t Nygma’s doing. A mayor didn’t need an assassin on his payroll. 

And jealousy was a stupid emotion. He didn’t have the time to feel jealousy over the shift in Oswald’s goals and dreams. He had people to kill, other commissions coming in. His girls and him were doing just fine, and if Oswald didn’t need him around then that was alright. He’d be there if Oswald called. Which is why he was here now.

He’d almost not answered the door to Nygma, remembering too clearly how the lanky idiot had turned Oswald away when he was broken and alone. But Nygma was working with Oswald, and Oswald might need him.

_“Butch is moving against Oswald.”_

_“What do you need?”_

Zsasz watched from a distance, as Nygma took the stage with Oswald, as Butch prepared to threaten him. It was surprising. Butch was an idiot, but was he _really_ buying that Nygma and himself were ready to move against Oswald.

Butch paused, glancing back at Zsasz. He raised a brow bone, waiting for Butch to speak his mind.

“Are you trying to play Nygma or something? Get back on Oswald’s good side?”

Zsasz shrugged. “You read too much into things. I’m being paid, I’ll do my job.”

Butch shook his head, but he didn’t press it more. He slipped the mask over his head and stalked forward. Zsasz slinked behind, clicking the safety off of his gun and preparing for his timing. He stayed back, stayed where Oswald wouldn’t see him until he was needed.

After all, Oswald hadn’t called him for protection tonight. He might get suspicious if he spotted Zsasz. 

“Sorry boss,” Butch said, raising his gun and pointing it at Oswald, who was on the stage.

“Butch!” Oswald said, horror and anger bleeding into his voice. The second time Butch had betrayed him, though it wouldn’t happen again after tonight.

Zsasz tensed, even though he knew that the gun was filled with blanks, that Nygma had assured Oswald was to be safe. He could see the confusion in Butch’s shoulders, in his tensing back, as he realized that the bullets that hit Oswald did no harm.

“You really think I’d give you real bullets!” Nygma was laughing. His eyes were alight with pride and excitement, though it was the same warm joy that Zsasz saw whenever Oswald was plotting.

Zsasz moved, as was his time. He needed to detain Butch before he did something stupid – before he went after Nygma and Oswald physically. They wouldn’t survive going fist to fist. He grabbed onto Butch, trying to get into the position where he can knock Butch out. Nygma had insisted that Butch only be killed in the last case scenario, that Oswald would get to turn him over to the police.

To show to the people that he was doing good for the city. It was frustrating, annoying. It would have been so much easier to just put a bullet in Butch’s head. But people would have suspected that Oswald asked Zsasz to do it. It wasn’t good for a mayor to be publicly killing people.

Of course, if Zsasz had just put a bullet in Butch he wouldn’t have had Butch turn on him and chuck him across the bar. He remembered being in the air, sliding across the bar, and hitting the ground. Then everything faded in and out. Stupid Zsasz, letting Butch get the jump on him. He heard flashes of things – screaming, a bottle breaking. All just flashes.

It wasn’t until he saw Barbara Kean standing over him that the fuzziness started subsided. She raised an eyebrow at him, a smirk twisting on her lips.

“You missed all the fun.”

He struggled, grabbing onto what he could to pull himself up. He was still dizzy. But he couldn’t stay down. He could let her – let people – see him down. See him struggling. If they saw him hurt, they wouldn’t be scared anymore. Scaring people is all he had left. 

“Oswald?”

“Is fine. Lover boy threw himself in front,” Barbara said, rolling her eyes. “They’re over there, waiting for security to take Butch out.”

She waved her hand and Zsasz followed her hand. He climbed back over the bar, moving towards the pair (the couple? perhaps. _Almost_. They were teetering on something clearly). There were red marks bursting on Nygma’s pale skin. He’d been choked, clearly. The lines of red of fingers that had clenched tight. Oswald was fussing over him, not noticing anyone else, anything _else_.

“I’m fine, Oswald, really.” Nygma’s voice was softer than Zsasz had ever heard, _almost_ caring. Teetering on something. 

“You should have just told me,” Oswald scolded.

Nygma was the one who looked up at Zsasz’s approach, breaking his eye contact with Oswald, drawing Oswald to **finally** look at Zsasz. He smiled at the assassin, almost too blinding, almost too much like the smiles when he was at the Van Dahls.

“Victor, I’m so glad you came. It’s good to know I still have some loyal to me.”

“Whatever you need, Boss. The girls are going to stick by Butch until the cops take him. You sure you don’t want me to take care of him?”

“No. Edward’s right. He should be handed over to the GCPD. A show of good faith, that we’re working together to keep the city safe.”

Zsasz nodded, but Oswald was already looking away from him, his eyes back on Nygma. Nygma looked proud, gloating almost. It wasn’t often that Zsasz felt uncomfortable – he really had no qualms about making others feel weird and barging in on conversations that weren’t for him. It often amounted in him just walking in without knocking, which grated both Falcone and Oswald’s nerves.

“You need me for anything else, Boss?”

“No, no. We’re just going to head home.” He still wasn’t looking at him, focused on Nygma’s throat. 

Zsasz’s back protested as he turned on his heel, but he needed to keep up appearances. He had to keep up his slinking nature, or else someone might think something was wrong. He felt a tug in his chest as he moved away from the Boss, but he shoved that aside. Liz and Candy and Yules were standing guard over a tied up Butch. The paramedics and police were coming in now, being directed by Babs-y.

“Go home, Zsasz,” Liz said, her voice quiet enough so that only the girls and him could hear.

“I want to make sure he stays down.” 

The girls were looking at him weird, but he didn’t give into it. Alvarez was there, taking a statement from Kean. It really was a shame that he was a cop, and a _good_ cop. He’d be fun to play with if he wasn’t so stuck in his ways.

“Go home,” Yules said, elbowing Zsasz’s side. “We’ve got this. He’s not getting away. And you’re back is probably killing you.”

His back was twinging, aching, but he didn’t want to admit it. He looked at the girls. They were all against him, he could see it in their eyes. He sighed, knowing very well that Liz would drag him out if she had to and he didn’t want to make more of a scene. It was bad enough that there might have been people who saw Butch shove him over the bar.

He glanced at the Boss one more time before clapping Liz on the shoulder and heading towards the door. He winked at Alvarez on the way out, and luckily none of the cops were stupid enough to try to stop him from leaving, to try to get a statement from him. It’s not like he even saw half the action. Stupid Butch.

He wasn’t jealous, even though Butch had thought so. Jealousy wasn’t his thing. Jealousy was how his father had reacted to seeing his mother talk to anyone. Jealousy was what drove Lee-bee Tompkins and Jimbo apart. He knew when he wasn’t needed, and for now Boss didn’t need him.

He just hoped Boss would be happy, and if not. Well maybe he’d become and unwanted guest if Nygma ever tried anything.

**Author's Note:**

> I still have one more piece planned! And I promise, the true love birds will get a happy ending.


End file.
